Oct 12 Eyes and Ears

Oswald Chambers said that we go through things that have nothing to do with us, but have everything to do with people we'll end up meeting later in life. People who will need the spiritual expertise that God has worked into us through the difficulties we've encountered and overcome. This is my paraphrase.

Jesus came to this earth and His three year ministry encompassed an area less than fifty miles in diameter. Then, when He went back to Heaven, He told us to take the Gospel all over the world. I say that to say this: wherever you are, right now, is where God has you—for a time. Before I go any further, if you're in an abusive or downright deplorable situation, seek help and forgive anyone involved. The devil might mean something for bad, but God always means everything for good (see Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28). Moving forward, Solomon, in Ecclesiastes (3:11) says that "God has made everything beautiful in His time." I believe that verse applies. Not only ultimately, with reference to Heaven, but also in the particular circumstances we're going through.

If you're not in dire straits but you're not where you'd eventually like to be, I will ask you one question: our mistakes and screw-ups aside, has God mistakenly placed you where you are right now? You, me, everyone has the opportunity to learn, right where they are, the unique and inherent lessons that each situation poses and possesses. By opening up to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to teach us what we need to know, we will affect not only the Body of Christ at large but the whole world, when that time comes.

Connectivity and interaction is ubiquitous. This fact hardly needs restating except to realize what a surprising truth it is. We are more connected as a race and a planet than ever before in the history of humankind. I realized this, as odd and silly as this sounds, when, one morning, I opened my dryer for a clean shirt and after rummaging through the clothes (whites) saw a URL on one of them. The "Information Superhighway" is everywhere. Even in the dryer…

All silliness aside, Peter says that "the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (1 Peter 5:9). Who knows how many people are out there that need the answer to the problem that you're facing? An answer that God wants to give you. It's not a rhetorical question. The person who knows is God. And if He doesn't decide to translate (teleport) you wherever that suffering person may be, as He did with Philip (see Acts 8:39), He will bless that person through you as you pray for them. You don't even have to know them by name.